Tips for Preparing Family and Friends for Your Adoption When it comes to the prospect of adopting a child, most couples are giddy with anticipation and excitement. Their excitement may have developed over the course of months or years as they researched and learned everything there was to know about the gift of adoption. They may become even more elated…

What’s the Difference Between Foster Care and Private Adoption? When families begin to research the adoption process, they can be immediately overwhelmed by the long list of possible ways to add a child to their family. Among the many choices, families tend to gravitate toward two different methods: foster care and private adoption. Deciding which route is best for your…

Tips for Establishing an Adoption Support System The old adage that no man is an island holds true in almost every circumstance, adoption included. Prospective adoptive families often underestimate the important role that a support system will play in the development and finalization of their adoption. Friends and family members will be there during the celebrations and the unavoidable struggles…

Recipe for a Successful Adoption When it comes to preparing your heart and home for a new adoption, many prospective parents want to know the keys to success. They question seasoned parents and agency workers about what they should do and when. How much time should they spend reading literature? Is there a secret to choosing the right agency? Which…

Happy Adoption Day! Many adoptive families celebrate Adoption Day. Some may refer to this day as “gotcha” day or placement day. This important day is when an adopted child joins his or her family officially. Many adoptive families choose to celebrate this day uniquely. One family might sit down after a special dinner and reminisce over the day their family…

Moving from Infertility to Adoption Finding out that you may not be able to give birth to biological children is an incredibly painful experience for many couples. For many couples, having a baby signifies an important milestone in their lives that simply can’t be overlooked. They would do anything to raise their own child. You may immediately be overwhelmed by…

Preparing (Or Not) for Adoption Bringing home a new child requires plenty of advance preparation, whether you’re giving birth or adopting. Adoption brings a host of new concerns about whether parents are doing enough to make themselves ready for this new child. Prospective parents spend months pouring over literature, looking at infant pictures, and researching the very best ways to…

I Wished for You by Marianne Richmond “Mama,” said Barley. “Tell me again how I’m your wish come true.” Barley is a little bear asking about his birth story, as many adoptees do. Mama Bear explains to Barley that he was wished for and the story elaborates on the process that Mama Bear went through to bring Barley home. All…

Adoption Counseling What do you think of when you hear the word counseling? Some might consider counseling a place for “other people.” Perhaps you consider counseling to be a place for people with mental health issues or for people who can’t keep their emotions in check on a day to day basis. Maybe counseling is for the weak. Maybe there…

10 Common Reasons for Putting a Child Up for Adoption Many birth mothers struggle with the idea of creating an adoption plan for their baby. Oftentimes, they wonder if their reasons for placing their child for adoption are good enough or understandable. Will she be judged for carrying a child to term and selecting someone else to raise it? Making…